QD Mackie Fly
By Mike Birdsong, Oklahoma

I first noticed this fly in the Feather
Craft catalog that I received this year.
The fly's write up stated it was their
favorite pattern for big bluegill. Hearing
the words big and bluegill was enough to
send me scurrying to the tying desk to try
to copy this fly. From just looking at
the picture in the catalog I couldn't tell
if it was weighted or not. An evening at a
pond told me first hand that the fly needed
to have some weight on it. I tried wrapping
lead on the upper half of the fly but that
didn't satisfy me; neither did adding a bead
head. My answer to this was to tie the fly
with quick descent dubbing. The resulting fly
sank at the proper rate I was looking for.
Tie some up and see how they perform for you.

Materials for the QD Mackie Bug

Hook: Any Nymph or Wet Fly in size 10.

Thread: Black Flat Waxed Nylon or what ever you have handy.

Wing and Tail: Rubber Hackle. I'm using clear hackle
with salt and pepper flakes in it.

Body: Quick Descent dubbing. I used black.

Thorax: Quick Descent dubbing. I used what
they called caddis and what I would call chartreuse.

Rib: Thick gold thread or gold wire. I used
gold thread.

Tying Instructions: QD Mackie Bug

1. Cover the shank of the hook with thread
ending up with the thread at the bend of the hook.

2. Tie in the rubber hackle as shown above.
The tail should be about half the
length of the hook shank.

3. Double the hackle over and secure forming
a "V" with the hackle. Trim to the proper length.

4. Tie in some gold ribbing thread.

5. Dub the thread with the color of Quick
Descent dubbing you will be using
for the body.

6. Wrap the dubbing about 2/3's up the hook
shank. When you dub the body try to smooth
out the bump caused by the rubber hackle tail.

7. Wrap the gold ribbing.

8. Tie in the rubber hackle "wings" for the
fly the same way we tied in the tail. You can
tie in another piece of hackle if you want to
make the wing more pronounced.

9. Dub the head or "thorax" with your choice
of the quick descent dubbing.

10. Whip finish and cement the head. ~ Mike

About Mike Birdsong:

Mike Birdsong lives "in the sticks" outside of
Idabel, Oklahoma with his wife and two boys.
He is a high school teacher and guides on the
Lower Mountain Fork River out of the Beaver's
Bend Fly Shop.